How to Troubleshoot a Sunroof That Won't Close

Liz TomasUpdated February 21, 2017

A sunroof is an excellent way to get additional sun or air into your vehicle. There are several different versions of sunroofs; most open and close automatically with the touch of a button. If your sunroof suddenly becomes stuck open, and it's rainy or cold outside, you've got a major problem. The two main causes of a stuck sunroof are a lack of power and debris stuck in the sunroof's tracks.

Remove the glass from the sunroof to access the lift arms. The guides that the lift arms follow may need to be pushed forward if they have become stuck in the open position. Use a screwdriver to push the guides forward so that the lift arms can fully close. Replace the glass once the lift arms are moving properly.

Lift up the sunroof cable as it may have slid into the path of the guides and lift arm. You will need to remove the J plate on the sunroof to access and resit the sunroof cable. Replace the J plate and test that the lift arms move fully.

Ensure that the sunroof motor is running properly. If there is no power to the motor, the sunroof will remain in the open position. Test the motor by inserting a screwdriver into the centre of the motor at the nylon brushing. Turn and push on the screwdriver to work the motor manually. If you can open and close the sunroof manually, then the motor is broken and needs to be replaced.

Check the sunroof wiring as a short can cause it to stop working. Test the sunroof switch and wires using a multimeter. If there is no resistance, then the wiring is fine. If there is high resistance, however, then there is a short and the wires must be replaced.

Clean the sunroof tracks, as dirt and debris can cause the sunroof to become stuck open. You should regularly clean your sunroof tracks so debris doesn't build up in the tracks. If too much debris builds up, this can eventually damage the sunroof cables, which are very difficult to fix.

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Tomas, Liz. (2017, May 13). How to Troubleshoot a Sunroof That Won't Close. . Retrieved from https://www.ehow.co.uk/how_7694282_troubleshoot-sunroof-wont-close.html

Tomas, Liz. "How to Troubleshoot a Sunroof That Won't Close" last modified May 13, 2017. https://www.ehow.co.uk/how_7694282_troubleshoot-sunroof-wont-close.html

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About the Author

Liz Tomas began writing professionally in 2004. Her work has appeared in the "American Journal of Enology and Viticulture," "BMC Genomics" and "PLoS Biology." She holds a Master of Science in food science from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in oenology at Lincoln University.